1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique for controlling the booting of a program when a device is connected.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some conventional device control apparatuses control the booting of software that is booted when a device is connected (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-259886, for example). Such control is performed in the following manner: the number of pieces of software corresponding to devices that can be booted is preset, and when a device that exceeds this preset number is connected, the booting of software corresponding to that device is put into a standby state.
Moreover, conventional task booting methods include a task booting method that is performed by communicating with a server apparatus that manages a task flow for executing a plurality of function processes in cooperation with each other (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-211747, for example). In this method, it is determined whether a task flow based on a requested function is registered with the server apparatus, and a plurality of function processes corresponding to the requested function is executed by referring to the registered task flow.
Moreover, some conventional printing systems determine the type of paper cassette set in a printing apparatus and automatically boot different pieces of software depending on the paper cassette in the printing apparatus (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-047844, for example). In such systems, combinations of the types of paper cassettes (e.g., a business card size) and software for printing (e.g., software for printing business cards) are pre-registered, and the software to be booted is changed based on that information.
With the conventional device control apparatus, whenever a device is connected to a device control apparatus, corresponding software is booted. At this time, there are cases where, for example, a user connects a device during installation of a driver, and software corresponding to the device is booted even though the driver is currently being installed. Thus, the driver installation is concealed by the booted software or a resource conflict occurs, and the driver installation operation may be disturbed or delayed. Therefore, user operations are disturbed while the software is being booted, and furthermore, time and effort are required to terminate the software. Also, there is a problem in that since the installation of the driver is not finished, the booted software is booted in a state in which the software cannot use that driver.
Moreover, with the conventional task booting method, a task flow requested through the input of data is always executed. Thus, the task is executed even if programs that are currently running include software that will cause disruptions if that task is executed. Therefore, user operations are disturbed, and furthermore, time and effort are required to terminate that software.
Moreover, with the conventional printing system, whenever a printing apparatus is connected to a device control apparatus, corresponding software is booted in the device control apparatus based on the information about a combination of a cassette and printing software. However, there are cases where the user desires to perform printing using a different piece of software instead of that printing software. In such a case, although the user runs software that she/he desires to use in the device control apparatus beforehand, the pre-registered software is automatically booted when a printing apparatus is connected to the device control apparatus. Thus, user operations are disturbed while the pre-registered software is being booted, and furthermore, time and effort are required to terminate that software.